Apparatus for weaving insulating materials



April l0, 11945. w. F. ASTLEY vPPRTUS FOR WEAVYING II\SU]` |'.['I\CTv MATERIALS Filed' Feb. l0, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet l M M M Aprilia,1945' l Y l w. F'. ASW-:Y Ef/3,0%

APARATUSXFDR wEAvING INSULATING MATERIALS Filed Feb. lo, '1940 'rsneets-sneet '2 April 10, 1945. v w. F. AsTLEY I 2,373,091

APPARATUS FOR WEAVING INSULATING MATERIALS 7M. Wam. gigs- `April l wgj'l-QASTLEY APPARATUS .Fon wEAvING' INSULATING MATERIALS" pl 10,A 1945.A v w. F. s'rLEY APPARATUS yFOR WEAYING INSULATING MATERIALS '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 1o, 1940 Apil l0, 1945. w. F. As-LEY APPARATUS FOR WEAVING INSULATING MATERIALS Filed Feb. 10Q 1940 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 April 10,-1945. w. F. AsTLEY APPARATUS FOR WEAVING INSULATING MATERIALS Filed Feb. lo,l 1940 7 sneaks-sheet 7 i Patented A pr. 10, 1945 APPARATUS non WEAvTNG msULA'rING MATERIALS l William F. Astley, Cicero, Ill., assigner to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, Chicago, Ill., a. corporation of Illinois Application February 10, 1940, Serial No. 318,228 12 claims. (ci. 139-11) The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for weaving insulating materials, and is particularly concerned with methods and apparatus adapted to weave insulating tape of the type comprising a filler having a plurality of large loose soft rovings of asbestos or other insulating material and a Woven asbestos sheath.

The present application is related to prior Patent No. 2,302,093, which is a division of this application,

One of the objects of the vinvention is the provision of an improved method and Weaving ma-V chine adapted to be used for making insulating tape of the general type covered by my prior application, Serial No. 300,104, filed October 19, 1939, for improvements in Heat insulating tape and methods of manufacture now Patent No. 2,239,281. It is to be understood that the number of hard and soft llers in these tapes may be varied.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method by means of which such filled insulating tapes may be woven and lled with rovings, all in one operation, so that it is no longer necessary to manufacture the ller and to weave the sheath separately andll the sheath after Vit has been woven.

Another object of the invention is the provisionof an improved method and weaving machine which is adapted to make an insulating tape, the sheath of which is made longer on one side, so that the outer wall of the sheath, when it is applied to a pipe, is not subjected to such tension as is present in the insulating tapes of the prior art; andthe flattening eifect on the illler, which is present in the devices of the prior art, is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method of handling the rovings which are used for llers of insulating tape` by means of which the filler may be inserted in the sheath of the insulating tape at the time the sheath is Woven.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved weaving machine, which is adapted to Weave a tubular sheath about one or l more ller members, the ller members being introduced in the spaces between the elements of a relatively coarse reed.

It should be understood that the present machine is not limited tothe manufacture of asbestos blanketsor to the use of asbestos material. It may be used for making various kinds offabrics, rugs, and blankets of any kind of fiber which may be spun into threads. or which may be used as fillers,"respective1yand such fabrics, rugs, or blankets may be made with or Withoutfa sheath.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the seven sheets of drawings accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of the main part of a weaving machine embodying. the invention;

Fig.. 1A is a similar view of the right hand portion of the machine, which may be combined with Fig. 1 to show the complete structure of this end of the machine, and this ligure relates particularly to containers for supporting the filler, and a rack for supporting the reels for the threads used in the Weaving of the sheath;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the left end of the machine of Fig. 1, showing the apparatus for applying a waterproof coating to the sheath of the insulating tape and for curing theA coating and reeling the tape in suitable coils;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of that portion of the machine which is adapted to handle the ller rovings by means of a plurality of protective tubes through which the rovings slide;

Fig. Ai is a. view in perspective of a feed roll for the warp threads of the sheath by means of which warp threads of greater length are fed to that portion of the fabric of the sheath which/ forms the outer wall of the sheath so that this wall of the sheath may be longer, since it will be on the outside of the assembly when the tape is wrapped about a pipe;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a part of the left end of the machine,showing one form of the feeding mechanism by means of which the outer wall of the woven .sheath is drawn from the weaving machine at a faster rate than the rest of the insulating tape being made by the machine;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a part of the machine embodying one of the tubes adapted to protect and shape the filler rovings that are :disposed within the sheath of the insulating ape;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of another alternative form of step-by-step mechanism for engaging the outer wall of the insulating tape and withdrawing it from the machine at a faster rate than the rate at which the rest of the insulating tape emerges from the machine;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken through the heddles of the weaving machine, showing the arrangement by means of-which the tubes, which carry the filler rovings, are moved up and down within the shed in the operation of the weaving machine;

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view, with a diagrammatic illustration of the shed, and showing the heddle frames in cross section;

Fig. 10 is a full sized top plan view of the stepby-step mechanism shown in perspective in Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the stepby-step mechanism of Fig. 7;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of this mechanism, taken on the plane of the line I2-I2 of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 13 is another sectional view taken on the plane of the line I3-I3 of Fig. 1l, looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

The insulating tape made according to the present methods and apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 5, and is further covered by my prior application, Serial No. 300,104, mentioned above.

It comprises a woven sheath of the type shown in Fig. 5, in part of the machine, and a plurality of large loose soft rovings 2| of asbestos fibers, which may be in the form of ordinary slivers, the loose fibers being preferably embraced by one or more spirally extending threads 22 extending about the ilbers in the right hand direction, one or more spirally extending threads 23 in the left hand direction, and one or more of the additional threads of asbestos may be included as a core for the insulating iibers of the filler members 2| and for the purpose of entraining the loose ilbers with them as the fibers emerge -from a machine of the type shown in my prior application, Ser. No. 195,117, filed March 10, 1938, on

Machines for making insulation now Patent No.

The spirally extending threads 22, 23 and the warp and weft threads of the woven sheath 20 are also preferably made of asbestos, and a certain percentage of cotton may be included with the fiber of which the threads are made, for the purpose of increasing the tensile strength and workability of the stock from which the thread is made. The asbestos ilbers used may be of Canadian Chrysotile. f

I desire it'to be understood that the present methods and machines are not limited to the weaving of small or narrow sheathed insulating materials, but may be used for making insulating materials of any width or thickness desired. For example, blankets of the dimensions of 1A. inch thick and 191/2 inches wide have been made, as well as sheathed insulating tapes 11% x 1%, 2 x 4/16, and 2% x inches in size.

It should also be understood that the machine and method are not limited to the making of insulating tape of the precise structure shown in the present drawings, but the elements of the machine may be adjusted and manipulated in a manner known to those skilled in the art of making many diierent types and structures of insulating tape. One example of this is the insulating tape shown in my prior application, Serial No. 300,104, in which the edge of the sheath is provided with a plurality of ropes, and in which cerparts of the illler in deilnite predetermined position.

One of .the distinguishing characteristics of the insulating tape made by the present machine, when it is equipped with the feedl mechanism shown in Figs. 5, 7, and 10 to 13, is that the outer wall of the sheath is longer, as evidenced by a puckered condition, as illustrated in my prior application on the tape, Serial N o. 300,104.

This puckered condition actually represents a greater length in the woven fabric at the outer wall of the sheath, and is included for the reason that the outer wall of the sheath is disposed at a greater radius from the center of a pipe than the inner wall when the tape is wrapped on the pipe. This being the condition, the outer wall will not be under such great tension in the tape made by the present machine as it will be in the devices of the prior art, where both walls, inner and outer, of the sheath are of the same length.

The tape made by this machine will, therefore, tend to maintain its ller in a loose, iiuffy condition, instead of tending to compress the filler when the tape is wrapped about a pipe.

It should also be understood that the sheath may be made according to the present methods and machine with a plain weave, a diagonal twill weave, a herringbone twill weave, or a granite weave. The particular type of weave depends upon the adjustment and manipulation of the heddles and other elements of the machine.

.Referring to Figs. 1 and 1A, these views may be combined to show the structure of the right hand of the machine. Fig. 1A shows a spool rack comprising a plurality of horizontally extending frame members 30 to 38, iixedly secured to a plurality of vertically extending frame members 40 to 46 for the purpose 0f providing a vertical rack adapted to support a multiplicity of spools.

The horizontal frame members 30 to 38 are provided with a plurality of regularly spaced pintles 41 adapted to carry a multiplicity of spools 48, 49, which are rotatably supported, and provided with a thread or cord for the weaving of the fabric.

The spools 48, for example, may support rolls of cord, such as that used for filler at the edges of the tape, to make the edges of the tape non-com pressible. All of the other spools 49 are adapted t0 support threads used as the warp threads 50 of the sheath, and the multiplicity of iine strands extending toward the left of Fig. 1A represent the threads being fed to the loom.

The members 5I are the hard cords used at the y edge of the tape. The members 52 at the left of tain parts of the sheath are tied together by warp threads extending between certain rovings from the top to the bottom of the sheath to hold the Fig. 1A are the large, loose, soft insulating iiller units, the coils of which are supported in the substantially cylindrical metal members, 53 t0 56, after the manner shown in Fig. 2 of my prior application, Serial No. 195,117 on Machines for making insulation. I

These insulating filler units are adapted to be withdrawn from the drums 53 to 56 and fed to the machine in order that the insulating sheath of the tape may be lled as its weaving progresses.

Referring to Fig. 1, the weaving machine preferably comprises a frame-work which may consist of a pair of similar vertically extending metal frame members 60 joined together by suitable horizontally extending frames, and each provided with the rearwardly extending diagonal frame members 6l and 62, having an open bearing 63 for supporting the trunnion 64 of a feed drum 65.

The feed drum 65 extends across the back of the machine, and is adapted to be rotated at a suitable speed for feeding the warp strands to the machine in proper relative length. For example, the warp strands '50 coming from the spools 46 may extend over suitable supporting dowels 66 carried by frame members 61, and may extend thence down about the drum 65.

Referring to Fig. 4, the drum 65 is here shown in perspective, and it has two cylindrical portions 66 of the same diameter, and the central cylindrical portion 69 of a larger diameter.

These cylindrical portions are preferably separated by intervening radial anges and 1|, and the warp strands wound about these portions respectively may be identified as 50a, 50h, and 50c.

'Ihe warp strands 50h wound about the central larger cylindrical drum portion 69 are those warp strands which are to be used for the upper and outside portions of the sheath of the tape. Ihe warp strands Sua and 50c are those wound about the drum portions 68 of reduced diameter, and are for weaving the rest of the sheath, comprising the edges, and inside Wall of the sheath when it is wrapped on the pipe.

All of the drum portions 68 and 69 are i'lxedly secured together and rotateA together, and therefore the warp strands 50h for the outer wall of the tape sheath are fed at a 'great vrate and are necessarily longer than the rest of the warp strands in the sheath. The purpose of this is to increase the length of the-sheath at its outer diameter when it is applied to the pipe so that the outer wall of the sheath, when it is applied to the pipe will not be so tightly tensioned as it otherwise would be, and' it will not tend tacompress the large, loose soft members which are used as a ller. i'

The insulating value of the assembly is enhanced by maintaining the filler in its most loose and soft condition, due to the insulating value of the air in the interstices between the fibers. It is this extra length of the outer wall of the sheath which results in what may be called a. crimped or puckered appearance in the outer wall of the sheath. The amount of crimp depends somewhat upon the thickness of the filler, as the crimp is intended tosupply the extra peripheral length for the outer wall of the sheath, which is rendered `V`necessary by the location of thisvwall at a greater rolls 'l5- 82, and the warp strands may be carried over a suitable number of rods or dowels to place the desired tension on these Warp members. The friction caused by the threads passing about the idler rolls or passing about rods or dowels places the desired tension on the warp members as they are drawn over the rolls, rods, or dowels.

From the feeding devices at the right of the .maehine, the warp threads pass to the main part of the loom, the frame of which is indicated by the numeral 90. This loom is in many respects similar in construction to ordinary weaving looms in that it is provided with suitable heddles. for

3 controlling thle. warp strands and Yforming the -shed 9|, through which the shuttle moves in the weaving of the tubular sheath.

The heddles, some of which are indicated by As this part of the loom is like the devices of the prior art in respect to the warp threads, and

as the shuttle structure is likewise similar to the devices of the prior art, they will not be described in detail.

Certain of the heddles, however, such as, for example, Nos. 92 and |0| (Fig. l) are adapted to control the movements of a plurality of tubular metal membersil, iii, which are adapted to support, move, and protect the insulating iiller members 5|, 52 as they progress past the heddles, and are placed in predetermined position within the sheath as it is woven. The hard cord insulating members 5l might be handled without the use of the protecting tubes, but the present machine is adapted to make insulating tapes which have the large, loose, soft, insulating fillers throughout.

In th embodiment illustrated there are six separate filler members employed, which have been identied on the spool racks as Nos. 5| and 52. Therefore, there are six sets of the tubular members lill, and six `of the guiding and shaping members l|2 (Fig.1), which are also of tubular shape. All of the elements of an assembly for handling one ller member are similar to the elements of another assembly, `and therefore only one may be described in detail.

Referring to Fig. 6, the frame of the machine 'supports suitable rearwardly extending frame members H5, which carry the transversely extending frame members lit, both of which are provided with slots'so that the screw bolts lil and Hi8 may be adjusted to the desired positions. The transverse frame member IIB is adapted to support; a plurality of the shaping members l I2, each of which is xedly supported by a pair of upwardly extended slotted frame members IIS, ||9a adjustably secured together by 1 screw bolt |20. Each of' the shaping members H2 comprises a tubular member, the leading end of which is belled out or made slightly funnelshaped at |2|, in order to facilitate the entry of the insulating llei unit 2|.

The leading end l2| is also substantially cylindrical, but the discharging end |22 of the shaping members H2 is oval in shape. In order to give the filler members 53 the cross sectional shape of an elongated oval, the largest dimension through the reed of the loom.

The oval shape of the 1311er members also facilitates the' placing of a thicker filler in the From the shaping members 2, the ller strands 5| and 52 extend into the tubular mem-- bers y Referring to Fig. 3, in this figure the frame 90 of the machine includes the horizontally extending frame member |25, having a plurality of upwardly 'extending brackets |26 for carrying the transverse frame-member |21. Transverse frame member |21 has slots for adjustably supporting the pintle brackets |28, between which there is supported an elongated pintle |29 for pivotally supporting one end of a plurality of the tubes I.

Each of the tubes has an upwardly extending pintle iiange |30, which may be in the form of a band of metal, having its ends apertured to receive the pintle |29. The ends |3I of the tubular members may be slightly belled outward to facilitate the entry of the insulating filler units 5| and 52 as they come from the shaper members ||2.

The opposite end of each of the tubular members III is pivotally secured by means of a hinge |35 at the upper side of each tubular member to the tubularmembers ||0, so that the tubular members ||0, III are pivotally secured together at the middle, and they are adapted to be moved upward and downward by the heddles, of which Nos. 92 and |0| are exemplary, t0 keep the filler members in such position that they do not inter-r fere with the operation of the loom. i

One position of the tubular members ||0, is shownl in Fig. 1. A secondposition of these members is shown in Fig. 9. For example, in Fig. 1 the filler is held below the shed, and in Fig. 9 the fillers are held above the shed.

The heddles which actuate the tubular members ||0, I I I comprise suitable rectangular frames, having vertically extending metallic strips or heddle bars |36, disposed with their plane surfaces parallel to the direction in which the warp -threads extend. At the tubular members I I0, I I,

bers ||0, I are likewise controlled by chains or other flexible members extending over pulleys, as previously described, and actuated by a suitable cam or cams in a manner similar to the weaving machines of the prior art.

Two of the ten heddles illustrated in Fig. 1 are utilized in controlling the movements of the tubes IIO, III. 'Ihe other eight heddles are used for controlling the movements of the warp threads which form the sheath of the tape.

It is to be understood that the time and range of movement of any of the heddles of a loom may be suitably adjusted to accomplish these results.

The left end of each tubular member IIO extends through the reed. For this purpose a relatively .coarse reed is provided. A relatively deep reed is also employed so as to permit sufficient range of movement of the tubes so as to clear the shuttle. If it were not for the guiding and protecting tubes IIO, III, the ller would, of course, be torn to pieces by the heddles and reed.

The. reed is illustrated as a movably mounted member |40 of the conventional type,'which is pivotally mounted at, I4 I and which is adapted to compact the weft thread, which is led in the shed by the shuttle. The reed is actuated in this loom in the same manner as in the devices of the prior art, by means of suitable cams. It will be seen in Fig. 1 that the tubular members ||0 extend through the reed so that the filler is fed into the sheath as it is woven.

As the right end of each tube is pivotally secured to a fixed support, and there are two heddles, one of which, |0I, for example, engages the tube and another 92, for example, engages the tube ||0. It will 'be seen that these heddles are adapted to control the position of the tubes ||0, to move them periodically between the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 9.

The left end of each tube ||0 may then be free of any other support. The movement of the heddles is such that the left or discharge end of each tube ||0 is maintained at the center of the sheath. Thus the sheath is adapted to be woven and filled with the insulating filler members simultaneously, and the fillers can be placed exactly where it is desired to have them. There is no possibility of the fillers getting out ofl place or being wrongly placed, as may be the case where they are drawn into the sheath after the sheath has been woven.

Furthermore, much labor is eliminated in the making of the insulating tape by means of the present machine, and the tape may be manufactured at a lower cost; between one-third and one-half of the cost of manufacture may be saved by the manufacture of insulating tape according to the present method with the present machine.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, the woven and filled sheath 20 may be seen as it emerges from the loom at the left of Fig. 1. The loom is preferably provided with suitable devices for withdrawing the tape at a. predetermined rate, in the form of suitable driving rolls |45, with idler rolls |46 and |41 for guiding the tape as it emerges from the machine.

In addition to this, the driving roll |45 (Fig. 5) preferably has a. sprocket |48 driving e, chain |49, which drives a smaller sprocket |50, carried by an auxiliary crimping device, shown in Fig. 5.

This crimping device is for the purpose of handling the additional length of Warp threads, and resulting additional length of fabric in the outer wall of the sheath of the tape 20. It comprises a cylindrical roll I5| mounted upon a shaft |52 and provided with a multiplicity of radially projecting wire teeth |53. The wire teeth |53 engage in the fabric of the sheath of the tape 20, and particularly in that portion of the fabric which has the longer warp threads.

The roller |5| is driven at a greater peripheral speed than the speed at which the woven tape 20 emerges from the machine, and thus the fabric of the sheath at the outer wall is withdrawn at aifaster rate, corresponding to the additional length of warp threads provided by the enlarged drum portion 69 (Fig. 4).

This gives the outer surface of the sheath a puckered appearance when the sheath extends in a straight line; but when the sheath is filled and wound on a pipe, its outer wall has that additional length which it should have by reason of the fact that the outer wall is disposed at a greater radius from the center of the pipe.

In Fig. 5 the shaft |52 is rotatably mounted on a metal plate |54. It is driven by a series of inter-engaging gears |65 to |56, each of which is mounted on a stub shaft carried by the Plate |54. The last gear |58 of this series is fixedly secured to the shaft |60, which also carries the sprocketl |50. 'I'he shaft |60 is rotatably mount- The frame member |62 may also support an` angular guide sheath |63, over which the insulating tape passes as it is directed throughthe aperture |64 in the I beam |62, to pass about 1 the feed roll |45.I

In the embodiment of Fig. 5, this withdrawing mechanism operates at a regular rate of speed continuously; but in avfurther modification, disclosed in Figs. 7, and 10 to 13, the tape has its outer wall puckered or withdrawn at a greater rate of speed by a step-by-step mechanism. The mechanism of Fig. 7 may be substituted for that of Fig. 5, the supporting plate 10 being pivotally mounted on the shaft |60 by means of the aperture In this embodiment the supporting plate |10 is provided with a shaft |12 flxedly secured thereto and rotatably supporting a toothed metal drum |13.

'I'he toothed metal drum has secured thereto a. ratchet wheel |14 by means of the screw bolts |15, and the ratchet wheel is adapted to actuate the drum. The plate |10 carries a retaining pawl |16, which is rotatably mounted on a screw bolt |11 that is threaded into the plate |10.

The pawl |16 is urged into engagement with the ratchet by reason of its weight, the pawl being disposed in the position of Fig. 11, where its free end tends to pivot downward into engagement with the ratchet at all times.

In order to actuate the ratchet-wheel |14, the plate |10 slidably supports a second or sliding plate |18, having a transversely extending plate |19 secured thereto to be used as a shoulderw that is engaged by a part of the reed |40.

The plate |18 is slidably mounted by means of a pair of screw bolts |80, which pass through the slots |'8I, and are threaded into the plate |10.` The plate |18 has an elongated and enlarged slot |82 surrounding the shaft |12 and the stud bolt |11 carried by the plate |10.

An actuating lever |83 is mounted between its ends on the shaft |12, by means of an aperture |84. At its lower end it is pivotally mounted on a pin or screw bolt |85, Awhich is carried by the plate 10, and the bolt |85 is located in a slot' |86 in the lever plate |83. At its upper end the plate |83 carries a driving pawl |81 by means of a screw bolt |88 flxedly secured to the plate and pivotally supporting the pawl |81.

It will be observed that the pawl |81 is also irged into engagement with the ratchet by gravi y.

The operation of this type of puckering mech.v anism for the sheath is as follows: Each time that the lay or reed |40 moves toward the left in Fig. 1, it engages the member |19 and causes' the plate |18 to slide toward the left in Fig. 10v and Fig. 11. This causes the pawl 81 to .take a new bite on the teeth of the ratchet wheel |14, which is held against counterclockwise rotation by the pawl |16.

When the reed or lay moves toward the right in Fig. 1, there is a spring |80, carried by pins ISI, |82 on the plate |10. that engages the end of the sliding plate |18,`and again moves it toward the right, to the position of Figs. 10 and 11. This causes the driving pawl |81 to move toward the right to the position of Fig'. 11, again rotating the ratchet |14 one step, and also rotating the toothed drum |13 one step.

The toothed drum in this case serves the same purpose as in Fig. 5, that is, it withdraws from the loom the outer wall of the sheath at a greater speed than the rest of the tape, and causes a puckering of the outer wall which is actually a greater length of fabric in that wall.

Thus, the insulating tape may be made according to the present method and by the present machine is adapted to have its outer wall proportioned in length to the increased periphery which is necessary to such a wall when the tape is wound about a pipe.

In some embodiments of the invention the insulating tape as it emerges from the loom may be immediately coiled upon a mandrel 200 carried by frame 20|.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the tape as it comes from the roller |41 may pass into a waterprooflngvdevice 202. The 1 The container 203 may be provided with a roller 204 rotatably mounted in the waterproofing compound, and the roller 204 is provided with side flanges 205 at each end of the. roller. The length of the roller 204, that is, the width between the side flanges 205, is such that the side flanges 205 the tape down into engagement with the roller 204, and the roller 204 may be driven by means of an electric motor 208 having a drive pulley and a belt 208 driving a pulley on the shaft 2|0.

As the tape comes from the machine in Fig. 2,

its outer side is uppermost; that is, the side whichwill bev outermost on the pipe will be uppermost, for the reason that the puckering mechanism is above the insulating tape, its toothed feed rollers engaging the tape by gravity.

'Ihe waterprooiing mechanism, however, requires that the tape be inverted, having the side to be waterproofed turned downward for engagement with the roller 204 and flanges 205. Therelore, the break indicated at 2| (Fig. 2) indicates a twist of degrees in the tape, which may be brought about with or without suitable guide rollers; or, if it is not desirable to twist the tape, it may be brought under another roller and reversed in direction, with the waterproofing mechanism extending in the opposite direction from .4

that of Fig. 2, behind the weaving machine.

The waterproofing machine has its roller 204-v driven by the motor 208, 'which causes theY roller* and its anges 205 to dip into the waterproofing compound in the container 203. This compound may consist of an initially plastic or substantially liquid rubber latex composition with suiiicient solvent, such as ammonia, so that the roller 20'4 and. flanges 205 are covered with the compound by immersion. Contact 'between the roller, its flanges, and the .tape applies the waterproong compound to the outside of the tape and both edges thereof, but leaves the inner side free from s waterproofing compound for application to the' pipe. As the tape emerges from the waterproofing machine, which is enclosed in a housing 2I5. it may pass over suitable rollers 2| B into a baking oven 2H, which is provided with a. heated atmosphere entering at the pipe 2 I8, and exhausted at the pipe 2|9. 'Ihe heated air is preferably suitably dried or has the solvent removed therefrom by condensation. The air may be heated by means of electric heating elements or gas heat.

The length of the oven 2|1issuch that by the time the tape has passed over the rollers 220 to 223 in the oven, it has traversed the oven twice, and the waterproofing compound has been completely dried. The tape may then be rolled upon the mandrel 200, which is suitably driven by means of a belt 224 from motor 225, and when a suitable length has accumulated upon the mandrel 2M, the tape is removed and tied in the form of a roll or coil.

Thus the present machine is adapted to eliminate many of the manual operations necessitated by the methods of the prior art, and insulating tape is woven, iilled; waterproofed, dried, and rolled without the necessity for further attention than the maintenance of the supplies of raw materials, which are necessary to the manufacture of the tape.

The present tape is adapted to have its iiller maintained in the best insulating condition, that is, large, loose, and soit, even after it has been wrapped on the pipe, because the external wall of the sheath as it is applied to the pipe is of greater length than the inner wall, thereby eliminating the tendencies of the 'devices of the prior art to compress the ller as it is applied to the pipe.

The attening of the ller, which was necessary in drawing a iiller into a completely woven tape,

is avoided by the methods of the invention, and

the tendency oi the llers to get out of place is also eliminated. Approximately one-third of the cost may now be saved by means of the present method and machines, and the improved structure of the tape also tends to eliminate any tendency toward ilattening. i. g

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limitedv to the precise details of construction set forth, but

desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A weaving machine comprising a supporting frame, a loom having a reed with a lay adapted to pass a plurality of insulating filler units, a plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame said loom having its shed controlled by said heddles. and a plurality of jointed tubular members movably mounted on said frame and passing through said comb for protecting and passing said insulating filler units through said comb and heddles, said jointed tubular members having one end pivotally mounted on said frame for receiving theiillerA units at substantially the same position, and having two jointed sections pivotally secured together and controlled by heddles.

2. A weaving machine comprising a supporting frame, a loom having a reed with a lay adapted to pass a plurality of insulating ller units, a plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame said loom having its shed controlled by heddles, 'and a plurality of jointed tubular members movably mounted on said frame and-passing through said 'comb for protecting and passing -said insulating ller units through said comb and heddles, said jointed tubular members having one end pivotally mounted on said frame for receiving the ller units at substantially the same position, and having two jointed sections pivotally secured together and controlled by heddles,' said jointed sections being moved by said heddles alternately up and down while maintaining the discharge end of said sections at substantially the same level to discharge the iiller into a woven sheath and to keep the iiller and tubular members outside the-shed during the weaving of the sheath.

3. A weaving machine comprising a sup- 'porting frame having a lay provided with a reed movably. mounted on said frame and adapted to pass a plurality of large, loose, soft ller units, a plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling the warp threads of both sides of a tubular sheath to form a shed for the weaving of said sheath, a plurality of tubular members for working and guiding said iiller units, said tubular members each comprising a pair of sections pivotally secured together at their inner ends and each pair of sections having one end of one section pivotally securedto said frame, a plurality of additional heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling said tubular members, said tubular members being pivotally connected to said heddles'whereby the tubular members and filler units which they contain may be moved out of the shed of warp threads of said sheath and the sheath may be woven simultaneously as the tubular members are fed into the tubular sheath.

4. A weaving machine comprising a supporting frame having a lay provided with a reed movably mounted on said frame and adapted to pass a plurality of large, loose, soft 1 filler units, a, plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling the warp threads of both sides of a tubular sheath to form a shed for the Weaving of said sheath, a plurality of tubular members for working and guiding saidy filler units, said tubular members each comprising a pair of sections pivotally secured together at their inner ends and each pair of sections having one end of one section pivotally secured to said frame, a plurality of additional heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling said tubular members, said tubular members being pivotally connected to said heddles whereby the tubular members and filler units which they contain may be moved out of the shed of warp threads oi.' said sheath and the sheath may be woven simultaneously as the tubular members are fed into the tubular sheath, means on said frame for supporting supplies of warp threads for said sheath, and feed means comprising a feed drum having portions of different diameter for feeding said warp threads, the warp threads for the outer surface of said sheath passing about the portions of larger diameter, whereby the outer wall of the sheath is of greater length to adapt the product for wrapping upon a pipe or the like.

5. A weaving machine comprising a supporting frame having a lay provided with a reed movably mounted on said frame and adapted to pass a plurality of large, loose, soit iiller units, a plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling the warp threads of both sides of a tubular sheath to form a shed for the weaving of said sheath, a plurality of tube moved out of the shed of warp threads of said sheath and the sheath may be woven simultaneously as the tubular members are fed into the tubular sheath, means on said frame for supporting' supplies of Warp threads for said sheath, and feed means comprising a feed drum having portions of different diameter for feeding said warp threads,

the warp threads for the outer surface of said.

sheath passing about the portions of larger dameter, whereby the outer wall o f the sheath is H of greater length to adapt the product for wrapping upon a pipe or the like, said machine having a take-up roll for withdrawing the nished prod uct from the machineand having an additional f.

take-up mechanism engaging the outer wall of said sheath to withdraw it at a faster rate than the rest of the woven product.

6. In a weaving machine for the sheath of an insulating tape, the combination of a supporting` frame with a take-up mechanism for the woven product, said take-up mechanism comprising a cylindrical roll upon which the woven product is wrapped, a plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling the warp threads of a shed forming said product, a plurality of reels for supporting' supplies of the warp-threads form ing said shed, and means for controlling the feed of said warp threads to said shed, comprising a feed drum having feed portions of different diameter, the warp threadsfor one of the sides of said sheath passing around a `feed portion of larger diameter, and the other warp threads passing around a feed portion of smaller diameter,

cylindrical roll upon which the woven product is i wrapped, a plurality of heddles movably mounted on said frame for controlling the warp threads of a shed forming said product, a plurality of reels'for supporting supplies of the warp threads forming said shed, and means for controlling the feed of said warp threads tosaid shed,vcompris ingl a feed drum having feed portions of different diameter, the warp threads for one of the sides of said sheath passing around a feed portion of larger diameter, and the other warp threads passing around a feed portion of smaller diameter,

and an auxiliary take-up mechanism comprising means for engaging that wall of the sheath which receives the warp threads that pass' about said i feed portion of larger diameter whereby the latter wall is withdrawn` from the shed at a faster rate to produce a greater length in said latter wall, said latter take-up mechanism comprising a toothed roll and a step-by-step driving mechanism, and said machine having a lay movably mounted thereon, said lay also actuating said step-by-step mechanism.

8. In a weaving machine, a mechanism for controlling a plurality of filler units to befed into a tubular tape woven by said machine, ccmprising a frame for said machine, a plurality of heddle units movably mound on said frame', a plurality of tubular members for receiving said filler units, each of said tubular members comprising two sections having their inner ends pivotally secured together, and each of said tubular members having its receiving end pivotally mounted on said frame, predetermined of said 'heddles each having an aperture for slidably and pivotally receiving one section of each tubular member which is remote from the pivotal mounting on said frame, whereby the heddles may move the tubular members out of the shed of the loom and the discharge ends of said tubular members may be maintained in position to -feed the `filler units contained thereby at approximately the same point.

9. In a weaving machine, a mechanism for controlling a. plurality of filler units to be fed into a tubular tape woven by said machine, comprising a frame for said machine, a plurality of heddle units movably mounted on said frame, a plurality of tubular members for receiving said filler units, each of said tubular members comprising two sections having their inner ends pivotally secured together, and each of said tubular members having its receiving end pivotally mounted on saidframe, predetermined of said heddles each having an aperture for slidably and pivotally receiving one section of each tubular member which is'remote from the pivotal mounting on said frame, whereby the heddles may move the tubular members out of the shed of the loom and the discharge ends of said tubular members may be maintained in position to feed the ller units contained thereby at approxi' mately the same point, said tubular members being of vertically oval cross section, and each tubular member having at its receiving end a tapered forming member fixedly mounted on said frame and adapted to contract the filler member into suitable size and shape to enter the tubular members.

10. A Weaving machinel comprising a supporting frame, means carried by said frame for supporting a supply of warp threads, a plurality of heddles carried by said frame and adapted to control said warp threads to weave a fabric of predetermined construction, a support for a supply of separate filler units of insulating fibers, a separate pair of tubes pivotally secured together, through which each of said separate 'f-lller units passes, a plurality of additional tube-controlling heddles, each of said latter heddles controlling the movement of a pair of said tubes, and each of said latter heddles having a heddle bar pivotally connected to one of the tubes of each pair, one end of the tube of each pair being disposed to feed the filler into position adjacent the fabric, and the other end of the other tube of each pair being pivotally mounted on said frame to receive the filler, whereby the tubes may be moved by said latter heddles into a position outside the shed of the loom so as to dispose the filler in a position to prevent interference between the filler and the shed during the weaving of said fabric.

11. A weaving machine comprising a supporting frame, means carried by said frame for supporting a supply of warp threads. a plurality of heddles carried by said frame and adapted to control said warp threads to weave a fabric of predetermined construction, a support for a supller units passes, a plurality of additional tubecontrolling heddles, each of said latter heddles controlling the movement of a pair oi' said tubes, and each of said latter heddles having a heddle bar pivotally connected to one of the tubes of each pair, one end of the tube of each pair being disposed to feed the filler into position adjacent the fabric, and the other end of the other tube of each pair being pivotally mounted on said frame to receive the filler, whereby the tubes may be moved by said latter heddles into a position outside the shed of the loomso as to dispose the filler in a position to prevent interference between the filler and the shed during the weaving of said fabric, said tubes being of oval shape, with the Widest dimension disposed in the direction of movement of the heddles.

12. A weaving machine comprising a supporting frame, means carried by said frame for supporting a supply of warp threads, a plurality of heddles carried by said frame and adapted to control said warp threads to weave va fabric of predetermined construction, a support for a supply of separate filler unitsof insulating iibers,

a separate pair of tubes pivotally secured toof each pair being pivotally mounted on said frame to receive the ller, whereby the tubes vmay be moved by said latter heddles into a position outside the shed of the loom so as to dispose the ller in a position to prevent interference between the filler and the shed during the weaving of 'said fabric, said tubes being of oval shape, with the widest dimension disposed in the direction of movement of the heddles. and a tapered tubular forming member having a large' opening and a discharge end of flattened shape for engaging and shaping the filler before it enters said tubes.

WILLIAM F. ASTLEY. 

